LONDON, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Welcomes Elsevier R&D Solutions as new lead sponsor and adds search for Alpha Innovator of the Year 

ICIS (http://www.icis.com ), the trusted information provider for the global chemical and energy industries, today calls for entries for its 13^th annual ICIS Innovation Awards (http://www.icis.com/awards ), designed to recognise outstanding technological and business innovation in the chemical industry.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150511/743802 )

ICIS is pleased to welcome Elsevier R&D Solutions (http://www.elsevier.com/rd-solutions ) as the new lead sponsor for the Awards. Together, ICIS and the new sponsor are launching the Alpha Innovator of the Year Award, to recognise individual excellence in chemical industry innovation in the Awards for the first time.

Distribution company U.S. Chemicals (http://www.uschemicals.com) continues as a category sponsor, supporting the Innovation with Best Benefit for Environment and Sustainability category. ExxonMobil Chemical (http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com) also stays on board, sponsoring the category for Best Innovation by a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise.

John Baker, ICIS Innovation Awards manager at ICIS, comments:  "We are delighted to be able to expand the awards this year in partnership with our new lead sponsor, Elsevier R&D Solutions, to reward individual as well as corporate successes.

"The awards continue to grow and gain industry support and last year attracted a record level of entries. We once again look forward to highlighting the very best of innovation in the chemical industry."

Christina Valimaki, senior director for chemical industry marketing at Elsevier R&D Solutions, and also a member of the ICIS Innovation Awards judging panel, comments that: "We're in a difficult market with unyielding cost pressures, product proliferation and regulatory scrutiny.

"In this environment, we believe in empowering those who are pioneering innovative approaches to business, the environment and sustainability. Elsevier R&D Solutions is therefore thrilled to support this work with leading chemistry decision tools and scientific databases, and to work with ICIS this year promoting awareness about the important work of this year's roster of winners."

Celebrating success 

The ICIS Innovation Awards enable companies to celebrate their success in the vital activity of innovation and the increasingly important areas of sustainability and environmental performance.  

There are four categories for companies to enter:

• Best Product Innovation  
• Best Process Innovation 
• Best Innovation by a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) - sponsored by ExxonMobil Chemical
• Innovation with Best Benefit for Environment and Sustainability - sponsored by U.S. Chemicals

Plus, the new individual Alpha Innovator of the Year Award - which will honour two industrial researchers for their outstanding contributions in two areas: New product development/process optimisation and Environment and sustainability.

The ICIS Innovation Awards and the Alpha Innovator of the Year Award are open to entry from today, with a deadline for entries of 30 June 2016. The winners will be announced in October 2016.

For more information or to enter the awards, visit http://www.icis.com/awards or call John Baker on +44(0)20-8652-3153.

Notes to Editors: 

About ICIS 

ICIS, the trusted information provider for the chemical and energy industries, is part of Reed Business Information (RBI), a division of Reed Business and a member of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information on ICIS visit http://www.icis.com

For further information contact:
John Baker
Global editor, ICIS
Tel: +44(0)20-8652-3153
Email: john.baker@icis.com
Web site: http://www.icis.com

About Elsevier R&D Solutions 

Elsevier helps chemical companies launch commercially successful new compounds and improve existing ones, while efficiently managing costs, safety and regulations, by providing immediate access to validated scientific and engineering intelligence.

Learn more at http://www.elsevier.com/rd-solutions/chemicals

For further information contact:
Christina Valimaki
Senior director, chemicals industry marketing, Elsevier
Tel: +1-215-239-3709
Email: c.valimaki@elsevier.com
Web site: http://www.elsevier.com/rd-solutions/chemicals

About U.S. Chemicals LLC 

U.S. Chemicals, LLC, is a 50-year-old worldwide specialty chemical distributor serving the textiles, paint, flame retardants, plastic, cosmetic, personal care, food and pharmaceutical industries. A woman-owned business based in Darien, Connecticut, US, U.S. Chemicals actively supports environmentally responsible manufacturers and distributors of chemical products and services.

For further information, contact:
Carol Piccaro
President and CEO
U.S. Chemicals LLC
Tel: +1-203-655-8878
Email: cpiccaro@uschemicals.com
Web site:  http://www.uschemicals.com

About ExxonMobil Chemical 

ExxonMobil Chemical is one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Our unique portfolio of commodity and specialty businesses generates annual sales of more than 24 million tonnes of prime products.  We have world-scale manufacturing facilities in all major regions, and our products serve as the building blocks for a wide variety of everyday consumer and industrial products.

We process feedstocks from ExxonMobil's Upstream and Downstream operations, supplemented with market sources, to manufacture chemical products for higher-value end uses. We focus on product lines that capitalise on scale and technology advantages, building on our strengths in advantaged feedstocks, lower-cost processes, and premium products. As a result, we have strong positions in the markets we serve.

For further information, contact:
Michael Lacey
ExxonMobil Chemical Company
Tel: +1(832)625-4773
Email: michael.lacey@exxonmobil.com
Web site: http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com

SOURCE ICIS